Saturday, October 22, 2011

3 Days in Nashville

This should have a catchier title, but...it gets to the point, right?

Last weekend, I had the privilege of spending three days with five amazing women. We met on Facebook, shared a common publisher, and decided to share a booth at the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, TN.

My feelings before the trip were ambivalent. I was both excited and nervous about sharing a 10x10 space with online acquaintances. I was anxious about selling enough books to make a return on my investment. I had that little feeling in the pit of my stomach at the thought of navigating downtown Nashville with only my sometimes questionable GPS. I began to feel sick the week of the trip, and that part of me that fears the unknown considered how bad it would be if I backed out. But I decided to tough it out and awoke early on Friday morning, dropped the children off at school, and made the three hour trip to Nashville with no problems.

The weekend was nothing like I planned.

The ladies I now count as friends were fun, vivacious, dedicated, prayerful, energetic, wise, and gracious! We smiled, we cried, we sang, we shared confidences, we handed out hundreds of each others' promotional materials, and we sold some books. All in all, I would say God was smiling on us. He definitely reminded me to consider his ways above my ways. I went to Nashville for a business trip and ended up on a spiritual retreat. How amazing that three ladies from Tennessee, one from Wisconsin, one from Oklahoma, and an Alabama girl could bond so quickly!

So I have to send a shout out to my fellow authors and encourage you, if you haven't already, to check out their work!

Dee Dee Wike has authored Good to the Last Drop and A Pleasing Aroma, both powerful devotionals that will uplift you with their wit and wisdom. Her daughter, Joy, certainly infused our days with her namesake!

Amanda Stephan has authored The Price of Trust and has a new book, Lonely Hearts, coming out next month.

3 comments:

Karina, it was such a fun weekend and Joy and I had a blast getting to know you, Amanda, Darlene, and Victoria! It was a great way to kick off my second book and the momentum has carried me through this week. Joy and I are taking turns reading each of your books and I look forward to reading Second Chance and Third Time Around. Thanks AGAIN for putting the weekend together. You are right...it's not about how many books we sold but all about what God is doing in and through each of us. You are in my prayers and forever in my heart!

Third Time Around Cover

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About Me

I have been a teacher for 15 years. This blog is dedicated, however, to my writing. I am the author of "Second Chance", an FBI romantic suspense novel, set in modern day Colorado. A second book has been completed and a third is being written.